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V Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

V
The Mask Carver's Son
Published in Paperback by (2001-02-10)
Author: Alyson Richman
List price: $14.95
New price: $8.25
Used price: $4.39

Average review score:

A Rebirth of the Soul through Time's Fire
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-08
`To be in a state of unawareness is the highest goal for a carver,' whispers the master, his voice already lost in the wind.

Alyson Richman wrote an especially poetic debut novel and after reading The Mask Carver's Son, I can't imagine not reading every book she writes. Her delicate writing style softens tragedy and awakens beauty.

"On the days when her early departure left a coldness and an aching emptiness in their bed, he would rise minutes after her. He would walk toward their small paper window and slide it ever so slightly to one side. Just to watch her, if only for a moment, as she glided through the garden as ethereal as a ghost."

The detailed descriptions of Kiyoki's life are inspired by Meiji period artists and will be deeply appreciated by anyone who is inclined towards heightened aesthetic awareness. There is no need to be an artist to understand the emotions and longings of Kiyoki, but you may find yourself wishing to learn to paint or to enter this fascinating world where he lives and breathes beauty as if it is life itself. The scent of cedar wood lingers throughout the pages, as does the scent of fresh paint on a canvas and plums freshly plucked from a tree. Sorrow and love mingle effortlessly and create a bittersweet story of hope despite struggle.

As Kiyoki struggles with the ghosts of his past, he comes to terms with his place in the world as opposed to his ancestor's wishes and dreams for his life. The Mask Carver's Son is not only a story of an artist's life; it is a place you may wish to live. The writing leaves you feeling nostalgic for a world you can only access through this book. If you love stories like Memoirs of a Geisha, this story may intrigue you.

~The Rebecca Review

Poetic Prose
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-25
I can only describe this novel as lyrical; the language sets the tone for the entire tale. A young man struggles with the decision to persue his dream even though he feels it might be disrespectful to his foster father. The artistic talent he has is both a blessing and a curse and his personal relationships suffer because of that.
Ms. Richman's writing is crisp and ethereal at the same time and the reader is transported to another time and place that is almost palpable. Ignore the editorial spelling mistakes and enjoy this book for the art it is.

Every Single Page is Stunning
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-11
Actually, even every paragraph is stunning. This author, in a dynamic, sensual and sculpted first novel, manages to tell a page-turning story whose every sentence is beautiful. It's a book that should be read slowly and indulgently so that nothing is missed. The story's subject, among others, is art, and the prose almost reads as a series of tiny paintings, so vivid is the language and so powerful are the images. And in keeping with the tale's Japanese heritage, the prose sometimes reads as a series of haiku, so acute is the attention paid to singular moments and to essential objects and to the symbols that surround us in ordinary life. Especially as a first novel, the MCS overachieves, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

A Novel to Treasure and Appreciate - Six Stars
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-18
A friend of mine recommended this novel to me. Once I began reading it, I found it hard to put it down. Then, after reading it from cover to cover, after a few days I felt the urge to read it again. This was the first time in my life that I had ever done something like that. Reading "The Mask Carver's Son" the second time was even more rewarding and meaningful for me. The images in the book, as if painted by an artist, are exquisite and the story is told in a true Japanese manner. The emotions of the characters are carefully controlled, remaining under the surface. Yet, the story is a powerful one and one that is based on the real- life experiences of actual artists. Like other reviewers that have reviewed this book, I cannot believe that the author is not Japanese. Even more surprisingly, I found that the author is a young woman. She has written a novel of unbelievable beauty - perhaps better than any Japanese author might have created. I recommend it highly. It deserves six stars.

Fizzled
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-14
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Kiyoki (the son of a great mask carver) forsakes his family history, duty, and lover for his painting, which he pursues in Paris. There's powerful stuff here about family betrayals and about art consuming one's life. I felt so much promise with the story, and yet it seemed to lack closure at the end of the novel. The family estrangements are (rightfully) unresolved, but I was expecting a different ending. Also, I noticed too many editorial errors which I found distracting.

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Max Perkins: Editor of Genius
Published in Paperback by (1997-05-31)
Author: A. Scott Berg
List price: $17.00
New price: $15.82
Used price: $11.51

Average review score:

They Don't Make Em Like Max Anymore
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-30
I found this classic in the library the other day and what a treat it was to read. To read--but not to accept. It's a sad but inexorable fact that editors today are more salesmen and paper pushers than shapers of authors. What comes through in Berg's fine biography is that writers like Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolf would likely fall through the cracks if they toiled at the desk now. Although Perkins is best known for his troika (the first two authors mentioned) and Hemingway, I had not known that he was largely responsible for Douglas Southhall Freeman writing his multi-volume history of Robert E. Lee. This superb work is as disciplined and fascinating as its subject.

Poor Max
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-23
Max Perkins was the great editor at Scribners who handled quite a few of the finest writers of the twentieth century, F. Scott Fitzgerad, Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe being especially noteworthy (and dealt with at length in this biography). One might envy such a man with such a job, but Berg makes it clear that having to deal with the likes of these authors was like walking around with a huge millstone around Max's poor neck. His job was endless and thankless (Wolfe actually betrayed him). You see from the many letters quoted that many of them are blatant pleas for money. Saying that Perkins had to coddle some of these authors like children would be putting it mildly. Berg does an admirable job relaying Perkins's life and hard times. Recommended.

Glory Days of American Literature
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-19
Berg's work rallies all aspiring authors to the cause of sainthood for Max Perkins...maybe even deification. He tracks Perkins's career vis-a-vis the literary careers of important 20th century American authors. Gives a peek at the largely ignored man behind the curtain...and stands as a monument to his contributions to our literary heritage. A must read for anyone who enjoys books.

TOP LITERARY MIDWIFE
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-04
Scott Berg's biography of Max Perkins is a warm, sparkling account of America's greatest editor in the prewar period, the midwife for works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe in the twenties and thirties, when big-time publishing converged on New York. Berg's book is cunningly organized: the reader steps at once into the rough and tumble of editorial work at Scribner's, leaving Perkins' early life, marriage, and family to be described in concise digressions taken only after we get another satisfying dollop of publishing history. Unhappily, once Perkins has delivered his discoveries to the public, the rest is mostly about their boozy extravagance (Fitzgerald), bullying ego trips (Hemingway), and petulant indiscipline verging on insanity (Wolfe). So even if, for this reason, you stop two-thirds of the way through, your curiosity about this key figure in modern literary history will be very well satisfied.

A nostalgic journey
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-05
This is a wonderfully written book, very informative and inspiring for authors, editors, agents and anyone else involved or interested in publishing. Berg does a terrific and subtle job of painting these larger than life characters, allowing their own letters to speak for them. He shows remarkable restraint and good taste and yet has created a book that is enriching and very difficult to put down. Highly recommended!

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More Than They Could Chew : A Novel
Published in Paperback by (2005-02-01)
Author: Rob Roberge
List price: $13.95
New price: $5.17
Used price: $3.50

Average review score:

Crime noir with human humor
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19
An absolutely beautiful novel from cover to cover. Roberge has a way of infusing the most desperate characters with a humor that allows each word to seamlessly bleed into the next. Think of More Than They Could Chew as the literary superior of great recent films like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and Smoking Aces.

Buy this novel now!

AMAZING
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-09
I heard Mr. Roberge read from this book at the library in Rancho Mirage (a treat unto itself) and I immediately bought this amazingly funny and moving book. It seems to me a next wave cross between Guys and Dolls and Big Deal on Madonna Street with characters named Maggot Arm Joe, Harry Fudge and Willie What's His Name, to name a few. Buy this book immediately! And the next time I see Roberge read, I have the perfect question to ask him. "How much of the enema scene is autobiographical." No. On second thought I don't want to know.

Eat it up!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-23
What a great novel! "More Than They Could Chew" offers more than a mouthful of amazing, colorful, hysterical characters in an amazingly vivid, poignant, dark and tragic portrayal of an all-too-real contemporary-noir realm. A delicious pleasure, masterfully written, a real can't-put-down piece of work.

Sex, Crime and Music - What A Great Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-07
I don't usually read books on crime and I have to say I was addicted to this book. The characters come to life and their wants and needs truly move the plot along rather than the plot moving them. Rob Roberge does an excellent job with his pacing and dialogue. More Than They Could Chew is a true page-turner that makes you want to pick it back up after you've gone to bed to see what's happened to characters with names like Maggot Arm Joe. The writing is raw and aggressive and the story takes you places that as a reader, you would never guess you were going. Most importantly, you'll find out why there's a red gummy bear on the cover. Wow!

This one goes to eleven...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-17
Roberge's "More Than They Could Chew" narrator/philosopher, Nick Ray, has lived life, looked it in the eye, drank himself to sleep, and still managed to pick up a few lessons along the way --still, what he wants, even if he does not know exactly what it is, eludes him. Nick-Ray-wisdom, my favorite aspect of this 7-day Christmas-to-New-Year's-Eve tale, is weaved through the novel: "the future of the past is rarely the present" and "Doubt is weakness...To prepare for it is to pave the road and build a parking lot for all the bad news that pulls into your life." Roberge populates this story of blackmailing FBI witness-protected crooks living in Orange County (a.k.a. Reagan Country) with a concoction of memorable, 'other-side-of-the-tracks' characters comprising a disbarred lawyer-addict, a Russian thief and thug, a girlfriend with special multiple-step sexual needs involving gadgets and one gummy bear (instructions are included) and many many more side-kicks. Scenes involving a doctor's one-day cure for a facial tic and a special reenacting of the sinking of the Titanic are hilarious (even if somewhat seemingly sickening) --you'll be treated to several laugh-out-loud dark humor moments. The novel's leading lady, the Southern California coastal city of Long Beach comes alive with all its sights, smells and sounds, both its past and present, in Roberge's storytelling --it is completely absorbing. The story builds to a surprise and poetic ending that I found absolutely perfect --give us more Roberge!

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Mortimer's Christmas Manger
Published in Hardcover by (2005-10-04)
Authors: Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
List price: $15.95
New price: $9.39
Used price: $4.40

Average review score:

Cute and touching.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-16
Mortimer is a mouse, living in a dark hole under the stairs. In his opinion, his hole is "too cold, too cramped, too creepy." One night, as he's sneaking around the big house looking for crumbs that the human family may have left behind, Mortimer finds what he thinks will be a perfect new home for him -- the stable in a Nativity scene. The excited mouse struggles to drag all the Nativity figures out of this stable, and he nestles himself down in the manger. The next day, as he's out prowling for crumbs, he comes back to find that someone has put the figures back into the stable! Annoyed, he drags them out again, and so it goes for several days, until one evening, Mortimer overhears the human father reading the Christmas story to his children, about how there was no room for them in the inn. The little Mouse realizes that the statue he has been dragging out of the manger each day is a statue of baby Jesus. Touched by the story, Mortimer decides that he wants to make room for the baby Jesus, and carefully puts all the figures back in their places. And in the end, Mortimer own prayer is granted. He finds a home that is just right for him!

Mortimer's Christmas Manger
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-23
So cute!!!! The story is so fun to read and my twin girls age 6 loved to listen to it. We all loved the pictures. This will be a favorite Christmas treasure for years!!

A Blessed Christmas Story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10
Mortimer's Christmas is a wonderful story about giving unselfishly and the birth of Jesus and it is told in a way even the younger children can enjoy. I read this during a Preschool Story Time at our library and several parents and grandparents asked where they could get copies. The illustations were great and the story moved along quickly. Karma Wilson has found a way to share the true meaning Christmas with the little ones.

An excellent Christmas story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10
My preschoolers sat quietly and eagerly waited to hear the whole story. An awesome story that brings in the real meaning of Christmas.

Astounding
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-19
This is perhaps the most powerful story about the Nativity outside of the New Testament. Kudos to Karma for the way she crafted a simple yet elegant story about one of the most important events in history. And the art? Jane is splendid. This is an all-star team who have created one of the most wonderful children's books I've ever come across. I now have a gift for everyone I know with small children. Keep 'em coming!

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Mujer que sabe latín... ní encuentra marido, ní tiene buen fin: alta gerencia, sólo para mujeres
Published in Paperback by Encuadernacion Geminis S.A. DE C.V. (1998-09-18)
Author: Andrea Keller
List price: $14.00
New price: $14.00

Average review score:

LIBRO PARA ADMINISTRAR EL TIEMPO
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-14
LOS CONSEJOS ADMINISTRATIVOS DE ESTE LIBRO, LE VAN A ENCANTAR CUANDO LOS VEA CONVERTIDOS EN UN COCHE NUEVO, JOYAS ETC...

INTELIGENTE, SEDUCTOR...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-05
UN LIBRO UNICO... que conjunta la sabiduria femenina en las empresas con una alta inteligencia y un sentido del humor finisimo !

¡ encantador !
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-07
YO tengo un negocio son cinco empleados, y el libro Keller ha sido una gran parte de mi exito

Yes, it's a very useful book. Really. But
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-06
let me tell you it's also THE MOST ENCHANTING AND FUNNY BOOK I'VE EVER READ !
Incredibly well written and with a refined aristocratic sense of humor

UNA AUTÉNTICA "BIBLIA " PARA
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-16
CUALQUIER EMPRESARIO...
Y QUE ADEMAS DE SER SABIA, ES SUPER LIGERA Y DIVERTIDÍSIMA !

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My Personal Best : Life Lessons from an All-American Journey
Published in Hardcover by (2004-04-09)
Authors: John Wooden and Steve Jamison
List price: $19.95
New price: $6.28
Used price: $5.00

Average review score:

We need more John Woodens
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-16
I was raised in Southern California and now reside in Indiana. I could not be happier that Coach Wooden also called both places his home. Though he clearly is a midwesterner at heart---as am I now---his legend truly grew in Los Angeles.

As my title indicates, we need more coaches like John Wooden here in 2008. Can you imagine what the current crop of college ballers would be like if they had a mentor and role model like Wooden? He had depth, insight, was spiritual, a reader, a thinker, etc. This was not required, but he knew all these attributes were necessary to grow "student athletes" into successful players and adults. Even a hippie like Bill Walton, the antithesis to a noble, mature person like Wooden---respects and admires "Coach." Wooden knew how to reach all. His quotes---taken from other coaches, his father and his own mind---are ones to heed. I have the Pyramid of Success on my wall at work.

He hated dunking, showboating, selfishness, hedonism, etc. He'd loathe the brainwashing and lack of civility rampant on today's college and high school campuses.

This bio spans a wonderful, rich life, leaving no stone or thought unturned; no mind or theory unchallenged or ungrown.

A remarkbale living legend, G-d bless Mr. Wooden (who is still alive at the age of 97) and all he has done for the game and collegians everywhere.

Secrets of Life
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-09
John Wooden has figured out some of the secrets of life. And he passes them on directly, in a way that can be transformational for a reader.

John Wooden is a hero of mine. His own heroes include Abraham Lincoln and Mother Theresa. Like them, he is a treasure for all of us because his life and lessons demonstrate what it means to live to "our personal best" in a way that is simple, profound and so clear.

This book should be required reading in "Human Being 101".

Wooden's Personal Best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-22
We grow up hearing about the importance of developing " good character", not always knowing what it is, or just how to obtain it. All of Wooden's books give his personal guidelines for developing character and living a decent life, whether we are athletes, musicians, teachers, or anything else.
Wooden's teachings have stood the test of time. His life and those he has influenced are proof of that.
I use his wisdom for myself, and I pass it on to all my students. They all know who John Wooden is. His life blesses us all.

Good for coaches
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-04
This is a great book to help any coach of any sport get a good feel for the right way to coach young players. Teach them good life lessons and skills. It gives an insight into a great coach and even greater man.

revealing, pleasant read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-05
John Wooden is one of my heroes. When I was growing up, his teams were dominant, but more importantly, they made the game beautiful to watch. After he retired at the peak of his game, he quietly stepped off the stage. With the rush of books on leadership in the 1990's through the present, it was inevitable, and overdue, that folks take time to examine Coach Wooden's approach to leadership. This has led to a cottage industry in Wooden books.

This book is short, personal and focuses on life lessons learned from the narrative of Coach's life. It doesn't attempt to be weighty, just a good read, that imparts wisdom without hitting you over the head with it. It touches on each chapter of Coach Wooden's life, and particularly shows the infuence of his father, his high school and college coaches and his growth thru experience

This is a fun, easy read that leaves the reader wiser. Highly recommend

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Next Door Savior : Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust
Published in Audio Cassette by (2003-09-04)
Author: Max Lucado
List price: $24.99
New price: $15.16
Used price: $11.99

Average review score:

As always, Max is awesome!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-17
What can I say? Max Lucado is a gifted writer who takes spiritual concepts and puts them into understandable and easy-to-grasp stories illustrations.

Ecellent Book, Excellent Author, Excellent Message
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-09
Max Lucado is a premier story teller. The message that Christ knows how we humans feel and that he is close enough to call on whenever we need him is uplifting and comforting.

truly refreshing
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-10
i haven't read max lucado books in awhile and I have read quite some of them. I have to say that this is one of his best written. The chapters are short but they are meaningful, each one of them that applies to different people.

Awesome Book
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-04
This a great book. I love the way Max writes. It's very unique and refreshing. He really brings the stories to life.

This book was sooo awesome!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-20
This is my first Max Lucado book and I loved it! It took me a while to read it because I don't read that often but something made me keep coming back to try and finish it. He made everything so simple and easy to understand. The real life examples were great! I would recommend it to anyone!

V
Nombres mágicos para tu bebé ( Magic Names for your Baby )
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Encuadernacion Geminis S.A. DE C.V. (2001-07-09)
Author: Morgana White
List price: $15.50

Average review score:

No les encontre nada "Mágico"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-09
Definitivamente que no hay nada más sabio que los dichos o refranes populares... al que para este caso le aplicaría muy certeramente... "Para gustos los colores" . Si bien me gustan los nombres poco comunes y es lo que busco para mi bebé, NO LES PUDE ENCONTRAR a nombres de los que aparecen en este libro, como por ejemplo "Lupus (una enfermedad del sistema inmunológico) , Macrobia, Vulfrano, Sesonotris, Peneus, Boqlebo" entre otros, NADA DE "MAGICOS" NI NINGUN TIPO DE "MAGIA".
Si van a ser padres, al igual que yo, colocarle el nombre a su bebé es algo de suma importancia para ese ser por venir, ya que el nombre que se le escoja es el que llevara toda su vida, por lo tanto es una responsabilidad, debiendo escogerlo con un cuidado extremo. Asi considero sinceramente que de colocarle a mi bebé alguno de los nombres (salvo contadas excepciones) que aparecen en este libro, en el futuro nunca me lo perdonaria. Para mi... les repito, definitivamente para gustos los colores y este es de llorar. YO NO LE RECOMIENDO A NADIE ESTE LIBRO.

UN NOMBRE IDEAL PARA TU BEBE
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-11
En este libro encontrarás el nombre ideal para tu bebé como si te lo hubieras sacado de la manga.... TE LO RECOMIENDO

Excelent Baby Shower Gift
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-15
What a great gift for the mother to be or grandma so she can make some welcome suggestions. Welcome edition to the child section of your home library.

Excelent baby shower gift
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-14
This was an absolute hit with the mother to be at the baby shower and with others as it was passed around. It was an added bonus to have a different resource book for sellecting baby's name.

Excelent Baby Shower Gift
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-15
What a great gift for the mother to be or grandma so she can make some welcome suggestions. Welcome edition to the child- raising section of your home library.

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Outriders (The Birthright Project, Book 1)
Published in Paperback by (2005-11-09)
Author: Kathryn Mackel
List price: $13.99
New price: $3.94
Used price: $3.93

Average review score:

A fresh and gripping concept for Christian science fiction
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-17
This is the first of Kathryn Mackel's books I have read, and I am impressed with her imagination. She creates a world that is intriguing and shows definite parallels with a creation fallen from its original beauty due to the curse of sin. She also shows the hope of restoration of the creation by the valiant acts of Christians.

In Outriders, the world has been devastated by a war in which most technology has been destroyed. Bands of warriors called Traxx roam the countryside. To populate their army, they capture the few remaining humans, and through genetic engineering, they turn the humans into grotesque monsters. However, a remnant of humans escaped and has been kept safe in an underwater ark. Little by little, these people, called birthrighters, are released back onto the earth and commissioned to help establish an outpost of humane civilization in this barren world. These birthrighters must battle the warriors of Traxx while they rely in their faith in God. There are clear spiritual overtones in this battle of good and evil, and the use of genetic engineering is ripped from today's headlines. The Birthrighter characters are developed well, and they are shown to have their own internal struggles in fighting against their own selfish desires, while they are fighting the Traxx. There is quite a bit of striking imagery, including an archway of thorns that protects the stronghold of the Traxx warriors.

I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series, Trackers

outriders: book one birthright project
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-10
Awesome read I can't wait to read the next one!!!

More! Give Me More!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-17
You're going to be disappointed if you read the first 2 books in this series. You might notice that I gave both of these books 5 star ratings and wonder why I'd say this. Well, WestBow Press, at the time I write this, has elected to not publish the 3rd and final book in this series. You're going to be disappointed in the light that Outriders and Trackers are so good that you'll feel a certain emptiness knowing that book 3 is unlikely (not impossible) to be forthcoming.

I love the post apocalyptic sub-genre of mainstream science fiction as well as Christian science fiction in general and this series falls into both of those categories. It exceeded my expectations in terms of plot and character development to the extent that I've actually caught myself daydreaming about the story. Off hand I can only recall a couple of stories that have had that effect on me, "The Stand" by Steven King, and "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells. "Outriders" and "Trackers" are definitely well worth reading even knowing that the story may never be finished.

A good read.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-09
This was overall a very enjoyable read, but there were a few points that keep me from fully enjoying the story despite several interesting characters and an interesting world.

First, much of this 'new' world revolves around genetic manipulation and mutation, but the author seems to know very little about the subject even though it's foundational to her version of the future. In the story, _adult_ humans are routinely made into monstrous beings by unknowledgeable men using a seemingly inexhaustible supply of 'potions.' These potions were found in destroyed labs long ago and are really ancient cell-lines. Somehow, despite storage in primitive conditions and at least a hundred years passing, they still work perfectly. Not only that, but they can conveniently be administered by drinking the potion or by putting it under the skin with needles. If you don't give a fig about the scientific impossibility of that premise, you should have no problem.

Second, a big deal is made about how dangerous this world is and how the rooks wouldn't stand a chance on their own for several days (which brings up the question of how all of the first-evers survived for so long). The rooks are saved from death several times by Niki, they are shown as initially overwhelmed by this wide expanse of world, and they supposedly think highly of Niki and the other first-evers. These rooks are supposedly the top of their class and devoted to God, though only Cooper shows a hint of this being true. With all that being true, I had a hard time understanding why all three rooks totally disobeyed Niki's orders right from the start. Yes, Niki was a bit harsh at times, but they deserved worse for their constant disobedience since it was risking all their lives.

It is also established that everyone at Horesh is fairly used to following Brady's crazy battle plans and that they always work. Yet, at the end, suddenly _everybody_ from Horesh starts to disobey his commands during a rather lopsided battle. I kept wondering why everyone started disobeying him now (much to their harm) when they had been obedient for years and knew how important it was for them to do so in order to succeed. It is never explained, nor is punishment ever handed out.

All that said, the book is better than I just made it sound. The above are really minor points, though the story would have been stronger if it had addressed them.

Wonderful fantasy series
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-09
Kathryn Mackel invites us into a post-modern future where the future of mankind is bleak at best. The land has been ravaged by nuclear war and deadly toxins have made much of Earth uninhabitable. Evil men hold seats of power and they have perverted God's creation through DNA manipulation, a process known as transmogrification. Innocent men, women, and children are continually taken captive and subjected to these horrific tests and experiments. Man has forsaken his Creator, and evil ravishes the land. However, there is hope.

A remnant of believers has built a modern day ark that is hides beneath the polar ice caps. They teach and train their children in the ways of the Lord, with the hope that they can impact the world above. As the children mature they are sent to the surface to live as Outriders and Trackers. Their mission is to scout the land and teach a lost world a message of hope it so desperately needs. Can they make a difference before mankind is truly lost?

This is a wonderful fantasy series that is chocked full of action, suspense, and heart. Mackel gives us a frightening glimpse into the future of mankind that is both original and eye-opening. The story seems to wander a bit at times, but overall the plot development is cohesive and effective. Mackel's strength is in the action sequences which are thrilling and full of excitement. Violence and gore are effectively used to draw readers into the heart of the battles. The heroes of this story are teens and young adults who have nothing to rely on but their training and a deep faith in God. Their faith is inspiring and encouraging as time and time again they trust in God, no matter how difficult the task.

This series is highly recommended for fans of fantasy and science fiction. Much of this material is intense and intended for mature readers, but it is appropriate for older teens. The lessons of strong faith and discipleship found in this series are worthwhile for adults and teenagers alike. (From Christian Library Journal)

V
Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island
Published in Paperback by (2004-06-30)
Author: John Wukovits
List price: $14.00
New price: $15.55
Used price: $6.77
Collectible price: $47.50

Average review score:

WHAT A BARGAIN!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-11
After seeing the History Channel special on Wake Island, I just had to have more, and this book fit the bill. The Alamo of the Pacific, how true that was. Well researched and written, and a nice hefty work to boot. It is hard to believe that you can find them for under $1. Be sure and go for the hardback edition, as you'll want this one to be a keeper.

Couldn't put it down
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-02
How often do you read a history book that's so engrossing you hate to set it down? Only as an exception, and this book is exceptional. The background is so well established that you'll feel like an island resident yourself by the time that first wave of bombers hit. The occasional humor further lends itself to making the book multi-dimensional and realizing the normality of the civilians and servicemen who became Wake heroes. I was also touched by some attention being paid to what a person's first taste of combat is like. 'It's okay to shoot at these guys, right? To actually try and kill them, right?'

It's just an amazing account. Read it - you'll think you lived through the whole thing.

Pacific Alamo
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-09
To put it simply, Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island by John Wukovits is an excellent addition to any library. This well written book is thoroughly researched and filled with first hand accounts of this struggle during the opening days of the war in the pacific.

After the successful Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines the American people were in shock. Much of the American Pacific fleet was damaged or resting on the bottom at Pearl. Macarthur's command in the Philippines was in retreat and Pacific skies were dominated by pilots of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Armies and Navies of the United States and Great Britain, were being driven back by what was considered by many, an invincible war machine. The Japanese were riding a wave of victories and America was preparing for the possible invasion of Hawaii or the west coast, with little left to defend either. Moral was low and the American people needed hope.

Wake Island, a tiny atoll half way between Japan and Hawaii, unprepared and manned by civilian contractors and a small force of marine, navy, and army personnel was about to enter the annals of history

Valuable History
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-24
I thoroughly enjoyed John Wukovits publication concerning the battle for Wake Island and the post battle information concerning the soldiers and civilians on Wake. One of the best insights into the conflict focused on the propaganda variable used by the United States to rally a nation. Another important trait is the focus on excellent and exciting detail concerning the battles on the island.

The Admiral who left these guys to surrender really did the military a diservice and I felt like a U.S. reinforcement and resupply would have ultimately held off the Japanese. The courage of those who fought at Wake is definitely captured by the author in "The Battle for Wake Island." The Marines and naval aviators were defenitely inspiring with their heroic defense.

It was also an interesting study of life in the prison camps, with wonderful first hand accounts. The Marines in the Pacific accomplished some heroic feats and it all started at Wake Island. If you decide to read this book you will be blessed to learn about some great American heroes. The civilian factor on the island and some of their heroic feats also adds more interest into this incredible account of combat and survival. The book also does a good job in telling the story of the Japanese as conquerers and then being conquered by a mightier moral/military allied nation.

Just read it! An important American saga, more than a mere research resource.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-06
An excellent and recent recounting of the struggles faced by a hopefully never forgotten saga in both American and Marine Corps history.
John Wukovits provides the reader with an assembly of perspectives from the defenders on Wake, the American WWII home front, and the Japanese attackers stitched together with the recent (2002) accounts of the surviving defenders themselves.
Wukovits `s addition to the Wake Island literary anthology is a gripping study of the atoll's most historic moments. The story follows selected men, not just Marines, from their stateside civilian lives to their enlistments or private construction contract jobs on Wake.
Every tale of Wukovits's interviewees will hopefully make the reader value the many freedoms we take for granted.
The book is a fair and noble salute to the men, all the men, who faced off with the Imperial Japanese Navy to lift the United States out of its Pearl Harbor gloom.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ-AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS TOO!


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